The \u201cS\u201d on the designer Obsidian T-shirt also stood for Somnolent Scribe.<\/p>\n
Or, if you prefer, Sedentary Saturday.<\/p>\n
That was not a departure from Thursday, Friday or, for that matter, the entirety of a Saskatchewan Roughriders bye week.<\/p>\n
These days of triumph (snicker) consisted of being taken for a walk by the dog and ambitiously watching TV \u2014 most notably, TSN\u2019s telecasts of Week 10 action in the CFL.<\/p>\n
Even with the beloved Roughriders on a respite, I was reminded many times over of the great gift that is Canadian professional football.<\/p>\n
On a cardio-free weekend, the games left me breathless.<\/p>\n
For starters, the B.C. Lions outlasted the host Hamilton Tiger-Cats 41-38 on Thursday. With Hamilton-born NBA star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on hand as the guest of honour, the game was fittingly decided by a three-pointer \u2014 Sean Whyte\u2019s 19-yard field goal in overtime.<\/p>\n
Very quickly, Hamilton versus B.C. was labelled \u201cgame of the year\u201d by some pundits.<\/p>\n
As it turned out, there was plenty of competition for that honour \u2026 on the same weekend!<\/p>\n
The Edmonton Esks edged the Montreal Alouettes 23-22 on Friday night. Cody Fajardo, an Alouette for the previous two seasons, threw a 15-yard, game-winning touchdown pass to Kaion Julien-Grant with 15 seconds left.<\/p>\n
Just six days after dropping a potential game-winning touchdown pass, Julien-Grant scored two key majors on Friday. His mother was in the stands at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou couldn\u2019t have written a better script,\u201d Fajardo, the Roughriders\u2019 starting quarterback from 2019 to 2022, said afterwards.<\/p>\n
Then came Saturday and another \u201cgame of the year\u201d candidate.<\/p>\n
Despite trailing 22-1 in the first quarter, the Ottawa REDBLACKS emerged with a 46-42 victory over the Toronto Argonauts at BMO Field.<\/p>\n
Dru Brown\u2019s fifth touchdown pass of the game was an 11-yard game winner to Justin Hardy in the final minute.<\/p>\n
Toronto\u2019s Nick Arbuckle, who threw three TD passes of his own, was a Trevor Harris-like 32-for-38.<\/p>\n
After three classics in a row, TSN treated us to more gems as we awaited Saturday\u2019s Week 10 finale between the Calgary Stampeders and the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers.<\/p>\n
The break between Saturday\u2019s games included TSN\u2019s countdown of the top 10 Grey Cup games.<\/p>\n
OK, 1976 hurt.<\/p>\n
So did 2009. Ow.<\/p>\n
But then we were all reminded of No. 1 on the list \u2014 the 1989 thriller between the Roughriders and Tiger-Cats.<\/p>\n
Two angles were shown of a 75-yard touchdown bomb from Kent Austin to Jeff Fairholm.<\/p>\n
Fairholm made the grab even though Hamilton had been called for pass interference.<\/p>\n
Tiger-Cats fans were still celebrating a Derrick McAdoo touchdown when Austin and Fairholm collaborated on a one-play, 75-yard touchdown, er, drive.<\/p>\n
Hamilton tied the game in the final minute thanks to a spectacular twisting TD grab by Tony Champion, who courageously remained in the game \u2014 and remained uncoverable \u2014\u00a0after suffering broken ribs.<\/p>\n
Saskatchewan\u2019s spirit would not be broken.<\/p>\n
TSN\u2019s flashback showed a perfect pass from Austin to Ray Elgaard for a 20-yard gain on second-and-10. (That play was celebrated in a recent column about a picturesque pass from Harris to Samuel Emilus<\/a>.)<\/p>\n